Merrill - On a chilly, wet day, hot grease seems to be the culprit for burning a house down in Lincoln County Tuesday.

Lincoln County crews responded to a fire on Pope Road just north of Merrill around 2 p.m. A garage and adjacent home were both on fire.

The homeowner told police she put hot grease into a garbage can in the garage.

She then added water, which caused sparks to fly up and light the insulation on fire. Both the home and garage appear to be a total loss.